Endocrine Disorders

Prevalence

Counts all existing cases during a time frame. Reports how common a condition is.

Incidence

Counts only new cases that start during a timeframe. Reports the risk of getting the condition.

Pituitary Gland

Secretes many different hormones, some of which affect other glands.

Hypothalamus

The region of the brain controlling the pituitary gland.

Thyroid Gland

Affects metabolism among other things.

Parathyroid Gland

Helps regulate level of calcium in the blood.

Ovary

Secretes female sex hormones.

Pancreas

Regulates the level of sugar in the blood

Testis

Secretes male sex hormones

Hormones

Chemicals released from specialized tissue into the blood stream

Steroids

Diffuse across the plasma membrane. Long lasting response to to their transport mechanism (bound to carriers in the blood stream) and cell signaling coupled to gene expression

Peptide

Bind to surface receptors. Short acting response because easily degraded in the blood stream (unbound) and cell signaling is generally transient.

Diurnal Pattern

Releases hormone daily

Pulsatile pattern

Releases hormone in a burst followed by a lag

Infradian pattern

Releases over a period of time longer than 1 day

Endocrinology

The study of hormones, their receptors, and the intracellular signaling pathways that they evoke

Neurosecretory Cells

Release specific hormones that stimulate the release of tropic hormones from endocrine cells in the anterior pituitary

Growth Hormone (GH)

Regulates growth in children and blood glucose levels

Adrenocorticotropin (ACTH)

Stimulates the production of cortisol

Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH)

Stimulates the thyroid gland

Luteinizing Hormone (LH)

Regulates testosterone and estrogen

Follicle-Stimulating Hormone (FSH)

Stimulates testis and ovaries

Antidiuretic hormone (ADH)

Regulates water balance by promoting reabsorption of water from the colleccting ducts in the kidneys.

Iatrogenic

Illness caused by medical examination or treatment

Parathyroid Hormone (PTH)

Released in response to low blood calcium levels

Resorption (Ex. Bone Resorption)

Releasing (Bones release calcium)

Osteoclasts

Release calcium into the blood (resorption)

Osteoblasts

Sequester calcium into the bones (deposition)

Pathological break

The break did not occur due to an outside force or stress

Basal metabolic rate (BMR)

The minimum number of calories your body needs to perform basic, life-sustaining functions at rest

Cellular metabolism

The total set of life-sustaining chemical reactions that happen inside living cells

Catabolism

Breaking down large molecules into smaller parts. This process releases energy, which the cell captures as ATP

Anabolism

Uses energy and small building blocks to construct large complex molecules that the cell needs to grow an repair itself

T3 & T4

Responsible for allowing the majority of the cells in the body to use energy (perform cellular metabolism)

Adenoma

A non-cancerous (benign) tumor that begins in gland-like cells of the epithelial tissue